First-of-its-kind interactive map from feds shows gaps in broadband service, in some cases at the neighborhood level

Screenshot of the Indicators of Broadband Need interactive map. Click the image to enlarge it.

The Biden administration's first-of-its-kind interactive map shows the rural-urban broadband gap in sharp relief from different perspectives and sources that you can choose. The county-level map, a product of the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, allows users to explore different datasets about broadband access and toggle layers to show data about racial minorities, tribal lands, poverty, and more.

Broadband datasets include average download speed, smartphone usage, and overall internet access. NITA also offers state governments more in-depth tools for analyzing broadband access.

Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel lauded the project: "Broadband is no longer nice to have. It’s need to have. To ensure that every household has the internet access necessary for success in the digital age, we need better ways to accurately measure where high-speed service has reached Americans and where it has not."